Ice shaving machine



A118. 1955 G. w. PRECHTER 2,714,490

ICE SHAVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR GEOEGE n4 PQE'C'H TEE,

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\ ATTORNEYS g- 2, 1955 G. w. PRECHTER ICE SHAVING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheav Filed Dec. 21,1951

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ATTORNEYS vz m pmm 0mm United States Patent Office 2,714,490 Patented Aug. 2, 1955 This invention relates to an improved power operated machine for shaving ice from a block of ice and delivering the shaved ice into a container.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved ice shaving machine which will receive a large block of ice, one eighth of a standard one hundred pound ice cake, for example, and reduce the ice to a shaved or flaked condition at such times as may be required; which is power driven and rapid in operation; which has an insulated container for the ice, so that ice can be preserved in the machine for long periods of time; which comprises an integral unit of compact arrangement and small size in proportion to its ice capacity; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, positive and effective in operation, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an ice shaving machine illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view machine;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a front end elevational view of the machine;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a rotatable cutter head constituting an operative component of the machine; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the cutter head showing structural details thereof.

of the ice shaving With continued reference to the drawings, the illustrated machine comprises a hollow cylindrical housing, generally indicated at 10, having a substantially cylindrical side wall 11 and being open at one end and having an end wall 12 closing the other end of the housing. A bearing boss 13 projects outwardly from the outer side wall 12 at the center of this end wall and is provided with a bore 14 the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the end wall 12 and to the plane of the open end of the housing. The boss 13 is provided with angularly spaced apart reinforcing ribs 15 bearing material is secured in the bore 14. The bushing 16 is somewhat shorter than the bore 14 and While its outer end is substantially flush with the outer end of the boss 13, its inner end is spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the end wall 12 and an antifriction thrust bearing 17 is disposed in the bore 14 at the inner end of the bearing bushing 16 while a grease seal packing or splash washer 18 is disposed in the bore and against the side of the thrust bearing 17 remote from the bushing 16.

A grease fitting 19 is mounted in the boss 13 and a lubricant passage extends from this grease fitting to the interior of the bearing bushing 16.

of the end and a bushing 16 of suitable A shaft 20 extends through the bearing bushing 16, the thrust bearing 17 and the packing 18 and is journaled in the bearing bushing.

Legs 21 and 22 project outwardly from. the side wall 11 of the housing 10 at angularly spaced apart locations around the housing and are provided on their outer ends with flange formations 23 and 24 respectively, the outer surfaces of which are substantially in a common plane, so that these legs can rest at their outer ends on a substantially horizontal supporting surface to support the housing 10 in upright position. The legs are also provided along their outer edge with reinforcing ribs or flanges 25 and 26 which extend from the end flanges 23 and 24 to the outer surface of the annular side wall 11 of the housing. The

* housing is also provided with a motor supporting bracket or shelf 27 which is positioned above and parallel to the shaft 20 and midway between the legs 21 and 22. A flange structure 28 extends from the side wall 11 of the housing at the open end of the housing to the rear edge of the shelf 27 and a reinforcing web 29 extends from the shelf at its mid-width location to the adjacent surface of the annular side wall 11 of the housing and is disposed substantially perpendicular to the shelf and the housing is further provided with a spout formation 30 disposed between the shelf 27 and the leg 22 and outwardly and downwardly inclined relative to the housing. This spout formation communicates with the interior of the housing for driving shaved ice from the interior of the housing into a container or receptacle held at the outer, open end of the spout, and is preferably of substantially rectangular cross sectional shape, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 2.

An electric motor 31 is mounted on the motor supporting shelf or bracket 27 and carries a belt pulley 32 on its shaft. A belt pulley 33 larger than the pulley 32 is car ried on the shaft 29 at the outer end of the boss 13 and a V belt 34 connects the pulleys 32 and 33 to drivingly connect the motor to the shaft 20.

A cutter head, generally indicated at 35, is secured on the shaft 20 and disposed within the housing 10 and a flat, disc shaped plate 36 is secured to the housing in closing relationship to the open end of the latter.

The plate 36 and the housing 11 have outwardly extending apertured lugs, as indicated at 37 and 38 respectively, at angularly spaced apart locations therearound and so positioned that apertures in the lugs 37 on the housing register with apertures in corresponding lugs 38 on the plate 36, the lugs 37 on the housing being disposed at the open end of the latter. Bolts, as indicated at 39, extend through the registering apertures in corresponding lugs 37 and 38 and firmly secure the plate 36 to the housing 10 at the open end of the housing.

The plate is provided within the circumference of the annular wall 11 of the housing with an opening 40 of generally rectangular cross sectional shape and with a flange 41 which projects perpendicularly from the plate in a direction away from the housing 10 along the edges of the opening 40 in the plate.

A flange formation 42 also extends across the plate 36 along the adjacent edge of the motor shelf 27 above the top of the opening 40 in the plate and flange formations, not illustrated, extend from the ends of the flange formation 42 to the adjacent ends of the corresponding flange portions extending along the side edges of the opening 40.

An ice container or box, generally indicated at 45, is secured at its front end to the plate 36 in surrounding relationship to the opening 40 in ,the plate and includes a top wall 46, a bottom wall 47, side walls 48 and 49 and an end wall 50.

The end wall 50 is provided with spaced apart legs 51 and 52 having bottom flanges 53 and 54 respectively,

the outer surfaces of which are substantially in the plane of the-outersurfaces of thefront legs 21 and -22;

so that all of the legs of the machine will rest firmly upon a substantially horizontal supporting surface to support'the' machine in uprightpo'sition The end wall is also provided with an inwardly directed flange formation which projects substantially perpendicularly'frorn the inner face of the end wall and has a shapesubstantially'the same as the shape of the flange formation 41 and 42 projecting from the outer face" of the plate 36.

Side wall'48 is substantially vertically disposed and extends from the adjacent edge of the top wall 46 past the adjacent edge of the bottom wall 47 to a location somewhat'below the bottom wall providing a depending extension 56" below the bottomwall, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 5, the'bottorn wall 47 inclines upwardly from the plate 36 to'the end wall 50 and downwardly;from"the-side Wall 48" to the side wall 49 and the side wall 49 inclines inwardly from the corresponding edge of'the' bottom wall 47 to the corresponding edge of the top' wall 46. The side wall 49 is also provided with an extension 57 below the bottom wall. Both side walls 48 "and 49"are inclined relative to the plate 36 and the end wall 50, so that the side wall 48 is inclined in a direction away from plate 36 outwardly of a plane parallel to this side wall and perpendicular to the plate 36 at'the inner side of the juncture between the side wall 48 and plate 36 and the side wall 49 is inclined in a direction away from plate 36 inwardly of a plane perpen- I dicular'to theplate 36' at the inner side of the juncture between the side wall 49 and the plate 36, the ice contaiherthus being skewed relative to the plate 36.

The side wall 48 is provided with an Opening 58 of elongated; rectangular shape and a door 59 is hinged at one end to the side wall 48 at the rear end of the opening 58 by the hinge 60 and is held in closing relationship to the opening 58 by a latch 61 carried by the door at the front end thereof and'a latch keeper 62' carried by the side wall 48 at the front end of the opening 58. The opening 58 is of suflicient size to admit a block of ice weighing between ten and fifteen pounds ,into the ice container 45' of the machine.

The top; bottom and side walls are formed of spaced apartaaa substantially parallel plies or layers, as indicated at 63 and 64, for the inner and outer layers respectively, of suitable sheet metal the ends of which overlap'and are secured to the flange formations on the plate 36 and end wall 50 and with a ply or layer 65 of heat"ins'ulative material disposed between the inner and'outer sheet metal layers, so is-heat insulated and will maintain ice'for a long period of time therein; 7

A screw shaft 66 extends longitudinally of the container '45 adjacent the inner side of the top wall 46 of the container and along the mid-width location ofthis top'walh A bearing socket 67 is mounted in an aperture in the plate 36 immediately above the top portion of theflange'fl and receives a reduced front end portion of the 'screw'shafr 66fwhile a socket 68 projecting inwardly from' the end'wall 50 of the container receives a rear end extension 69 of the screw shaft, the extension 69 being of reduced diameter and extending through an aperture in the rear wall 50.

A'"thrust'bearihg 70 is mounted in the socket 68 between' th inner-endof the socket and a collar 71 secured on" "ins-screw shaft to hold the screw shaft against longitudirial movement relative to the container 45, and a handwheel 72 is mounted on the shaft extension 69 at the outer side oftherear "end wall 50 of the container.

A'handle' 73 is carried by the handwheel 72 for manually rotating-"the screw" shaft.

A feed block 75-is disposed in the container 45 and comprises a plate portion 76 adapted to bear against the rear end of a block of ice'in' the container and provided-on-its front face with spaced apart points 77 that the ice container for holding the block of ice against movement relative to' the-feed-block. The feed-block also includes'a n'ut portion 78 threaded onto the shaft 66, a stem portion 79 connecting the nut portion to the top edge of the plate portion and a reinforcing web or rib 80 extending along the adjacent sides of the nut and plate portions of the block to hold these portions against movement relative to each other.

As is particularly illustrated in Figure 5, the plate portion 76 of the feed block 75 has a shape in elevation substantially the same as the cross sectional shape of the container 45, the edge of the plate adjacent the sidewall 49'being longer than the opposite edge ofthe plate and inclined upwardly and inwardly along the inner surface of the adjacent side wall.

By rotating the screw shaft 66 in one direction, the feed block 75 is forced against the rear end of a block of ice in the container 45 and forces the front end of the ice against the adjacent face of the cutter head35 driven by the motor 30, so that ice is shaved fron t'the front face of the block as the block' is fed into the cutter head; When one block of ice has been substantially used up, the feed block can be moved to the rear end of the'container by reversely rotating' the screw shaft- 66- and another block of ice disposed in the con tainer between the feed block and the remaining portion of theblock of ice already in the container, the new block: of ice-being placed in the'container through the openin'g'58 in the side wall 48 of the container.

The cutter hea d 35; as is particularly illustrated in Figures 7 an'd'8 in cludes an integral body, such as a metal castingor forging-comprising a flat circular'plateportion 82 having a'central'aperture therein, a cylindrical hub 83 projecting perpendicularly from one side of the'plate at the center of thelatter and having a bore 84 therein continuous with the aperturein' the plate, and vanes 85 extending radially from the hub 83 and joined along their edgesadjacentthe plate 82 to the plateat the side of thelatter at'which' the hub projects. The vanes '85 are spaced apart at angular intervals of approximately degrees and are of substantially rectangular shape'having a width substantially equal to the length of the hub 83am! a length substantially equal to the radial distance from the hub to the periphery of the plate; Substantially midway between each two adjacent varies the plate is provided with a radially extending slot, as indicated at 86, and at the rear side of each slot in the direction of rotation of the cutter head, isprovided with a radially disposed rib 87 having a beveled face 88 adjacent the slot. Theaperture in th'eplate 82' comprises a rounded recess 89,

as illustrated in Figure 3, at the'correspondin'g end of the tending'into thecorresponding' slots. The blades are provided with apertures at spaced intervals therealo'ng and are'secure'd tethe corresponding ribs87 by screws 93 extending through the apertures in the blades and threaded into tapped holes in the corresponding ribs, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 8. The beveled edgesof the blades are sharpened and'proje'ct slightly beyond faceof the plate or disc 82 adjacent the ice con-' ta n er'45 ,"so that they will engage the front fac'e'of a blcclcof ice in the container and'shave thin layers of ice from the block. Two of the blades are longer than the'othe'r'two, and are substantially diametricallyo p posed with their inner ends extending across the recess 89 substantially to the axis of rotation of the shaftv 20,

so that" the entire front face of the block price will be out, these longer blades being indicated at 90 in Figure 3.' As the ice is shaved from the front face of the block of ice in the container, it falls into theinterior of the housing 16 and is picked up by the vanes 35 and forcedthrough the spout 29 on the housing from which it will fall into a suitable container or receptacle held below the spout.

The closure plate 36 for the housing is provided substantially midway between the legs 21 and 22 with an aperture 95 and a tubular fitting 96, such as a pipe nipple, is secured at one end in the aperture 95 and projects outwardly from the plate 36 in a direction away from the housing 10 to provide a drainage outlet for the housing. If desired, one end of a rubber hose can be connected to the distal end of the fitting 96 for conducting drainage water from the machine to a suitable disposal area, such as a sink or basin.

The angularity of plate 36 to the side walls 48 and 49 and the bottom wall 47 of the ice container 45 causes the cutter head 35 to cut the adjacent end of a block of ice in the container on a plane which is disposed at an angle or skewed relative to the longitudinal center line of the block of ice. As the cutting of the ice progresses the ice block is reduced to a wedge shaped body between the plate 36 and the feed block 75 with longitudinal edges of different length extending between the plate 36 and the feed block. The longest longitudinal edge of the wedge shaped body of ice is along the edge of bottom wall 47 adjacent side wall 49 and the shortest edge is along the edge of side Wall 48 remote from bottom wall 47. The other two longitudinal edges of the wedge shaped body have substantially the same length which is between the lengths of the longest and shortest edges as described above.

This wedge shape of the ice block tends to restrain the block against sideways movement as well as upward and rotational movements in the ice container as it is acted on by the cutter head.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ice shaving machine, a hollow cylindrical cutter rotor chamber having opposed inner and outer end walls and a peripheral wall, said inner end wall having an opening through which a body of ice to be shaved can be exposed, a cutter rotor journaled on said outer end wall, said cutter rotor comprising a circular plate having a peripheral edge running close to the peripheral wall of the chamber, said circular plate having an inner side running close to said inner chamber end wall and an outer side spaced from the outer chamber end wall, circumferentially spaced radial vanes fixed on and projecting at right angles from said outer side of the circular plate, said vanes being proportioned to occupy the space between said outer chamber end wall and the circular plate and having radially outward edges running close to the peripheral wall of the chamber, radial slots in said circular plate between adjacent vanes, and radial blades on said circular plate having shaving edges projecting through the slots, said blades being disposed at angles to the plane of the circular plate.

2. In an ice shaving machine, a hollow cylindrical cutter rotor chamber having opposed inner and outer end walls and a peripheral wall, said inner end wall having an opening through which a body of ice to be shaved can be exposed, a cutter rotor journaled on said outer end wall, said cutter rotor comprising a circular plate having a peripheral edge running close to the peripheral wall of the chamber, said circular plate having an inner side running close to said inner chamber and wall and an outer side spaced from the outer chamber end wall, circumferentially spaced radial vanes fixed on and projecting at right angles from said outer side of the circular plate, said vanes being proportioned to occupy the space between said outer chamber end wall and the circular plate and having radially outward edges running close to the peripheral wall of the chamber, radial slots in said circular plate between adjacent vanes, and radial blades on said circular plate having shaving edges projecting through the slots, said blades being disposed at angles to the plane of the circular plate, an axial hub on and projecting from the outer side of said circular plate, said vanes having radially inward ends connected to said hub.

3. In an ice shaving machine, a hollow housing having an open end and a closed end, a box open at one end and closed at the other end and including a top wall and a side wall positioned on the open end side of said housing and having its open end connected in communication with the open end of said housing, shaving means mounted within said housing adjacent the open end of said box, said shaving means comprising a rotary cutter exposed at the open end of said housing, a screw mounted centrally and longitudinally on said box and positioned within said box close to the top wall of said box, an ice feeding block mounted on and threadedly engaged with said screw and projecting laterally from said screw, first operating means at the closed end of said box for rotat-- ing said screw to move said feeding block toward the open end of said housing, a second operating means mounted on said housing at the closed end of the housing for rotating said rotary cutter, said box side wall being provided with an opening for passing a body of ice into the box in front of said block, and an openable door on said box side wall closing said opening.

4. In an ice shaving machine, a hollow housing having an open end and a closed end, the box having one end open and closed at the other end and including a top wall and a side wall positioned on the open end side of said housing and having its open end connected in communication with the open end of said housing, shaving means mounted within said housing adjacent the open end of said box, said shaving means comprising a rotary cutter exposed at the open end of said housing, a screw mounted centrally and longitudinally on said box and positioned within said box close to the top wall of said box, an ice feeding block mounted on and threadedly engaged with said screw and projecting laterally from said screw, said box having a bottom wall parallel to the axis of the rotary cutter along which a body of ice is supported as it is moved into engagement with the cutter by said feeding block, first operating means at the closed end of said box for rotating said screw to move said feeding block toward the open end of the housing, and a second operating means on said housing at the closed end of the housing for rotating said rotary cutter, said screw and said feeding block being disposed at an angle to the axis of said rotary cutter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,952 Smith Dec. 20, 1938 571,609 Bohannan Nov. 17, 1896 885,177 Powell Apr. 21, 1908 1,251,087 Mosca Dec. 25, 1917 1,432,186 Horwitz Oct. 17, 1922 1,942,675 Wigger et al. Jan. 9, 1934 2,515,923 Hansen July 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 277,887 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1927 

